Love in the Time of Cholera: Dec 26, 2007

With the passage noted by Jessica, I relate Fermina Daza to one of those Afghanistan women who wear their burka to cover themselves up and hide themselves from the eyes of the men. However, this is not the reason for Fermina Daza to wear a mantilla. She wore it in order to protect her from the stench and germs of the corpses that are laying everywhere.

Before responding to Jessica’s blog, I do not know the meaning of the phrase coup de grace. This is because I do not take French. After reading it, I understand that it means stroke of grace. I just want to say Thank You to Jessica. It never occurs to me that Fermina speaks French. However, now that I realize her knowledge, I am able to see Fermina’s intelligence and her distinction from other people around her. This is one of the many reasons that creates her fame among the social group she is in. She is an intelligent woman with distinct characteristics. I agree with Jessica that many people in the book may have underestimated Fermina. They thought that she becomes wealthy and has the fame she has only because she married the wealthy and well-famed Dr. Urbino.

In the passage, the officer said, “Even God improves His methods” (252). It does not surprise me when the officer uses “His” instead of “his” because this is how most people refers to God in writing. This is a religious part of the book that refers to God’s place among the society. This quote refers to how God kills people through an epidemic instead of through the hands of other people. God is improving his methods in killing people. This is in a way saying that God likes to kill people and wants people to die off. We are improving with our technology and God is improving in his way of killing off people. What supposedly can kill off a person at a time can now kill off a bunch of people at a time, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez calls this improving. This really catches my attention. Is Marquez saying that God has no feeling for its people.